Empty In Remnant

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, RWBY, or any other works associated with them.

It's not time for Volume I. That's next chapter. This chapter is more of an interlude. That being said, this chapter is still important as it establishes several undergoing plot bombs that will implode later on in this story. So pay attention.

This takes place just after Vanitas's battle with Xigbar.

Also, put on 'Organization XIII' theme music.

Chapter 7: The Interlude.

In the 'Room Where Nothing Gathers,' an all white round room with thirteen seats of varying heights, there were three people currently in the room.

The first was Xigbar, the second founding member of Organization XIII who had just came back from a reconnaissance mission to a world with a shattered moon. He wore the usual uniform of Organization XIII. He has black hair with several grey streaks in his somewhat long hair that ended with a ponytail. He has golden eyes, though his right eye is covered with a black eye patch. There is a large scar on the left side of his face that extends from his left cheek to just under his left eye.

The second person that was currently engaged in talking with the one eyed man was Saix, ranked seven within the Organization. He is considered the second in command within Organization XIII. Along with the usual garb of the Organization, he has long light blue hair that just almost reaches his back as well as possessing golden eyes and a large distinctive X-shaped scar in the middle of his face.

The third person that was overlooking the two was the man who created Organization XIII, Xemnas. Being the creator of the Organization, he is naturally ranked first within the Organization. Along with the basic garb of the cloaks that originated from him, his most distinctive traits are his long silver hair that reaches his mid-back, relatively dark skin, and amber-orange eyes.

Xigbar, who came back from a reconnaissance mission from a newly discovered world - the one with the shattered moon - had just finished giving the first half of his report to Saix. He had basically told the impassive man everything there was to know about the world of Remnant...well, everything that the one eyed man had learned, at least. Along with the most basic information about the world that he learned, he also gave the man his thoughts on the local heartless presence on that particular planet.

Or rather, a lack of one.

"...There are no heartless on that world?" Saix asked.

"Nope," the one eyed man make an exaggerated hand gesture. "Surprised me too. There isn't a heartless to be found. No emblems, no pure-bloods, no nothing. Just these strange red eyed creatures with mask. I don't know about you, but I think it may possibly be that world's way of manifesting its own darkness."

"Hmph. Irrelevant. If there are no heartless in that world, then it has no use for Organization XIII."

"Whoa, don't be so quick to dismiss this world," Xigbar quickly interjected. "After all, it could be of some use for us in the future."

"Use? If there are no heartless on that world, then that means that there are no hearts to harvest, making it useless for the construction of Kingdom Hearts."

Kingdom Hearts. In legends, it is stated that the heart shaped entity is a source of ultimate power and wisdom. If a person were to come into possession of that power, it could be used for many things. It could be used for power. It could be used for knowledge. It could be used to gather all of the many separate worlds and fuse them all back into one. It could also be used to reformed the entire universe to one's liking.

Perhaps, it could even give the members of the Organization their lost hearts back.

Organization XIII, its members, and perhaps even this world itself are all Nobodies. Creatures without hearts to call their own. The heart that is being spoke of is not the organic muscular organ that pumps blood within their bodies, no. The heart that is being spoken of is something else entirely. In fact, it can even manifest itself in a non organic body. Within everything that can think, breathe, move, or otherwise leave behind evidence of their own existence, there is a heart. Most importantly, however, a heart is able to allow an individual to experience emotions; Something that the Nobodies cannot experience when their own hearts have been lost to the darkness.

The entire reason for the Organization's existence is for this sole purpose.

To give form to Kingdom Hearts, they would need hearts. Hearts of the Heartless. These Heartless, created whenever a person loses their hearts to the darkness in one way or another, are crucial to the creation of Kingdom Hearts. These heartless, when properly slain, release the hearts they hold captive. Whenever this happens, Organization XIII, through various means, collects these hearts. The heart shaped moon shining down on this world is proof of their efforts.

However, it is still incomplete.

"We need more hearts, Xigbar." Saix said in a matter of fact way. "If this new world, Remnant, is unable to provide us with any, then it is as good as useless."

"Hmph. And like I said, don't be so quick to dismiss the world in its entirety. You still haven't heard the rest of what I have to say."

"And what would that be exactly?"

Xigbar smiled cockily.

"Well, for one thing, on that very world, I found a kid that - you're not gonna believe this - looks exactly like Sora."

Saix raised an eyebrow at this claim.

"You found a child that looks exactly like Sora? The exact same Sora who defeated Ansem, the exact same Sora who wiped out Marluxia, the exact same Sora who spawned Roxas, You found a person that looks exactly like this Sora?"

"Well...almost."

"What do you mean 'almost'?"

"Well, this kid. He's got basically the same look as Sora, but with a few distinct differences. For one example, he's got black hair instead of brown. And instead of tanned skin, he's got pale skin instead. And-"

"Xigbar," Saix calmly interrupted. "While it is indeed interesting to note that there is a young man that bares great resemblance to Sora, unless he can be of some use for the Organization, then I'm afraid that this line of discussion is finished."

"Then luckily for me, I can prove that this kid can be of some use to us."

"How?"

"Well, if you had let me finished what I was going to say, I would've told you. There are three more things that makes this kid so interesting. One- He's got golden eyes like us."

"Golden eyes..." Saix said. "Then that means - "

"Yep. That kid's a bit like us. Touched by the darkness." Xigbar continued to talk. "The second thing - is that the kid can utilize darkness."

"Did he truly?" Saix asked.

"Yep. Surprised the heck out of me. After all, though he may have the same eyes as us, the fact of the matter is that the kid looks almost identical to Sora. And Sora, from the start of his journey to the very end, has always been fighting against the darkness. So imagine my surprise when the little tyke, who looks practically identical to the kid, managed to channel it."

"How did he channel it?" A deep yet eloquent voice said with a tone of interest. Sitting in the highest chair in the room, just above both Xigbar's and Saix's, the Superior of the Organization, Xemnas, joined the conversation.

Smiling ever so slightly at getting the attention of Xemnas, Xigbar continued.

"Well, the kid only channeled it once before getting somewhat tuckered out. But the way he used it was just like how you or I would use it." Xigbar began recounting the fight. "For most of the fight, the kid had been tossed around. He was trying to land hits on yours truly, only to fail when I teleported away and unleashed a barrage of projectiles at the little tyke. Well, I supposed he got fed up at some point, because then a large dark aura began radiating from him. After that, when I shot some rounds at him, the kid suddenly smacked it right back at me. Then, while I was stunned, the kid suddenly appeared in front of me, as if he teleported or something. Then after that, he smacked me around. And then, with his final hit, he launched me across an entire building."

"Did he now?" Xemnas said. Xigbar nodded, confirming it. "Intriguing."

Xigbar continued on.

"And that's not all. I think, judging from the way he just brushed it off and continued on as if nothing happened, that the boy didn't even noticed what exactly it is that he just did."

"Xigbar," Saix quickly interjected. "Let us assume that what you're saying is accurate. Then so what? So what if the boy bears great resemblance to Sora? So what if the boy can utilize darkness, even if unknowingly. Unless the boy can wield the keyblade exactly like how both Sora and Roxas can and reap the hearts of the Heartless - then unless you're planning on turning him into a Heartless, the boy is useless to us."

"Hah. I knew you might say that, so that's why I saved the best for last. You see, this kid I'm talking about? When I engaged the boy in combat, he was holding a peculiar weapon in his hand. A weapon, red and black, that looked like it was made of multiple cogs that, all in all, looked like a key."

Saix's eyes widened slightly, breaking his stoic facial expression. He quickly regained his composure and asked a very important question.

"Xigbar...do you mean to say that he has a Keyblade as well?"

"Nope," was Xigbar's quick response. He had a smug look on his face as he said it.

"...What?"

"That's not a Keyblade."

"How would you know?"

"Simple," Xigbar said in a matter of fact way. "It didn't have a key chain."

"...How would..." he shook his head. "No. Never mind. Very well, Xigbar. Let us say that this lack of a key chain indicated that the weapon he wielded was indeed not a Keyblade. Then, Xigbar, why would you point this out?

"Hmph, I thought you would've been able to figure it out by now, second-in-command." Xigbar teased the blue haired stoic.

"With you, Xigbar," Saix responded. "Anything that should be simple becomes exceedingly complex. Now, answer the question."

"Hah, fine. As you wish. You see, just because the kid has a weapon that looks like a Keyblade, yet isn't, doesn't mean it's not important. Rather, it's the fact that the kid has a weapon that looks like a Keyblade in the first place that should be important. After all, Keyblades are rare...and people who wield them, even the ones that are mere imitations, are even rarer."

"..." Saix was strangely quiet...even more than usual.

"You know, Lord Xemnas...should you let me investigate this boy, this may end up becoming a huge boon to the Organization and, by extension, our plans." Xigbar said, making sure to put a subtle yet important emphasis on 'our plans.'

In response, the long silver haired man smiled in a knowing manner, and then spoke.

"What Xigbar has brought to light in his report has been very...illuminating. Indeed, this is something, if fully investigated, could benefit the entire Organization. Sadly," the man said ironically, "I am afraid that we simply do not have enough time to investigate this. With the desertion of our thirteenth member, Roxas, and his subsequent kidnapping by the former master of my previous self, Sora's awakening from his slumber is nigh."

Both Saix and Xigbar remained quiet. Saix, knowing that Xemnas had taken Xigbar's side, quietly ceded. Xemnas then looked at Xigbar specifically and smiled menacingly, giving him a secret message of sort that only the one eyed man could correctly interpret.

"However, should our plans succeed, then I shall permit you to investigate this boy and the world that he inhabits much more thoroughly. Do you understand?"

Xigbar, knowing the hidden message behind the look, smiled knowingly as well.

"I got you loud and clear."

Commentary-

Bit of a short chapter, eh? Well, it's an interlude sort of chapter, so it's to be expected. Plus, you guys just had that super long chapter that was like 3 or so chapters mashed together.

There's a distinction between dark Aura and dark aura. If you ever see dark Aura with a capital A, that's the power from the soul which Vanitas in this story will normally use. If you see dark aura, it's going to be the power of darkness that originates from Vanitas's heart.

I swear this is going to be confusing. Especially if I ever decide to put Dark Aura (the skill) into the mix.

"Vanitas, using dark Aura and dark aura, uses Dark Aura to brutally murder some random character."

As for the reviewer that said Aura doesn't work the way that I'd portrayed it...yeah, you're probably right. But then again, what it can and cannot do is kinda undefined in the sense that there are no apparent limits to it. Further more, in the RWBY wiki, in the trivia section, it is said that Aura can be likened to Ki/Chakra from other medias which, I assume, is referring to DBZ/Naruto. In both of those shows, the things that can done with the two are insane. Ki/Chakra has been used to power up oneself, unleash devastating attacks, attain new forms, and other crap like that. In that sense, the way I portrayed Aura in this fic can be considered 'accurate.' Though if all you meant was the very last part of the fight Vanitas had against Xigbar where Vanitas made things seem slow using his 'Aura,' then yeah. You were one hundred percent right. That wasn't Aura. It was darkness.

I might be interested in a Beta Reader. I say might because of I do get a Beta Reader, chapter updates will almost, certainly, probably be slower. The only reason that I'm somewhat interested in getting a beta reader is that I'm shit at proof-reading.

Yeah, there's that. If you're interested, leave it in your review, send me a pm, whatever.

Thanks for reading Empty in Remnant. The good stuff is coming real soon! Leave a review; Favorite or Follow this story. Or do all three. It would really be swell if you did.